Crucible



Jan. 9, 1923.

H. D. LILLIBRIDGE.

CRUCIBLE.

FILED JUNE 27, 19(9- 2 SHEETS-SHEET X.

Inventbr B Attorne;

L MLGW.

Jan. 9, 1923.

H. D. LILUBHIDGE.

CRUCIBLE.

FILED JUNE 27,1919.

2 SHEETS-swan 2.

Patented den. Q,

- D. LILLIBRIDGE, OF ZANESVILLE; I110 .ZLSSIGIJO35) TO AZ'IIIEBICAN ENCAUSTIC 7 rrrrno- QOMTPANY, run, or new roan, N. "35.,

cnucrern.

Apphcation filed June 27,

5 of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Crucible, of Which the following is a specification.

1This invention is a crucible, the same being composed of chemical porcelain and the contour of Which is scientificallyfashioned to attain high thermal resistance.

Prior to setting forth the invention of this application, it is not out of order to state, I s briefly as may be, somewhat of the history 01' the art of chemical. porcelain,particularly with reference to crucibles. Those skilled in the art are Well aware that for many years porcelain crucibles of German manufacture have been the standard in the chemical industries by reason 'of-the fact that the high :aolonic compositions employed in the production of crucibles possess the thermal resistance required in crucibles for chemical service. a j

The essential technical difference between chemical porcelain "and porcelain dinner- Ware, teaware, artware etc.is that chemical porcelain must be composed of such material and be so fashioned as to withstandthe usages of the chemists laboratory, Whereas the domestic utilitarian 1 and art Wares are subject to no more severe tests than immersion in hot Waterand to more or less careless handlingby domestics Satisfactory chemical porcelain involves no less than fiveessential properties which alre I (a) thermalresistance ire. resistance to rapid extreme heating and cooling Without fracture,

(Z resistance to allralies (c) glaze resistance to high temperatures,

(cl) resistance to shock in handling when heated to a hig 'h temperature and (a) lightness, translucency and a smooth glaze finish.

Experiments conducted With chemical porcelain crucibles oi? the character now on the market es ablish conclusivelythat certain wares do not Withstand the extreme temperatures retpiired the products now under consideration consisting of a cone let porcelain having a good appearance and While proving useful for ordinary laborathe crucible was heatedunev'enly, some roreign made crucibles of 25 mm, or

also stand the thermal resistance a cannon/anion on NEW YORK. f

1319. SerialNo. 307,171;

tory work, such crucibles do not possess the thermal resistance essential for chemlcal porcelain, the tests establishing further, that such porcelain Wares are Wholly unsuited tor crucibles, dishesand casseroles.

independently or the bodies and glazes,

the property of thermal resistance is a most important and essential fact r, it being determined that a porcelain possessing the required thermal resistance is almost certain I to possess the other essentials; but it is found that While the porcelain may have the required resistance to alkal1e,shocl:, glaze resistance to high temperatures, and be otherwise satisfactory as to lightness and translucency, it does not follow that such porcelain Will stand the thermal resistance tests. This test (thermal resistance) conslots" in heating the crucible until it becomes brie-ht red b 1 the a enc Y or a blast burner removing the crucibleso heated by tie aid of tongs, and applying a blast of cold air, such test being repeated at number of times; ten or more. in the experimental Work heretofore conducted withcrucibles new on the market, no domestic '-'arc stood the the"- mal resistance test'successfully, especially it although less, stood the test fairly Well, but all larger sizes cracked before the third heai'iing and, further, some of the German crucibles will est provided theydo not exceed 30mm. in Width, and here again thelarger sizes of crucibles cracked after the third or fourth heating. Tests oi the various makes established that some of the chemical porcclains which were (iloviouslysuperior to others did not possess the some thermal resistamre, and that there is a wide difference inccrucibles of the same make, espeoizztlly in the tests ct different sizes o't crucil: es, as a result oi: whichex perimentation the investi. the direction ot shape or contour in the construction. I i

The art shows that there have been practically no developments inthe shape construction of chemical crucibles,it appearing that potters are now makingthe same identical shaped crucibles which have been in use "for centuries; the German e beinga tion turned in tern. Although no inconsiderable research work in the direction of body composition and glaze composition has been done in the past, it does not appear that there has been an appreciable effort made in the development'iof the shapein construction with .a view to increasing the thermal resistance. Owing to thecombination or materials in chemical porcelain, the temperature necessary to mature the body is so great that the shape undergoes a contraction varying from to and even greater in some instances. In addition to contraction, there is a conditlon wherein everyrlaw or fault inthe material is exaggerated to a marked extent during the firing operation. It has been determined that shapes of certain constructions undergo changesin proportion during the firing, that is, one shape after firing will have greater diameter. in proportionto its height, whereas another shape possesses greater height in proportion to the diametenysuch variation being due to the settlingv of the shape during contraction, especially atv the temperature termed the maturing point, which is almost. that or fusion.

In thetests or prior wares r'ortherma-l resistance it was noted that where the shapes exhibited evidence of' faulty construction the crucibles failed under the thermaltests, and

"that-as the tests were conducted .on the shapes of increased; sizes the crucibles were less able to stand the thermal resistance tests, whereas carefully designed models would meet the requirements.

The experlmental work heretofore con j ducted 'establish'esthatthe element or shape immune to extreme thermal resistance tests;

in construction isvlan important factor in crucibles composed of chemical porcelain,

witha view to the production of a crucible the accompanying drawingsfthe cone Odenoting the blaze from a blast burner. The heavy continuous black lincyA in Fig. 3 denotes thenwall of the crucibleand the curvature thereof indicates that shape in the The, chart 4,

body of the porcelainvware which is best ca-lculatedto resist the thermal test, such tests establishing that the. variations in the body contour indicated in the various dotted lines, have a tendency to reduce; or weaken,

and ultimately fracture, under the thermal resistance test.

illustrates graphically the development in the cross sectional contour 01": the body at the mouth of the crucihle, the heavy black line B denoting the shape at the mouth which successfully stands the extreme thermal resistance tests, whereas the contours at the mouth denoted by the broken lines are illustrative of the shapes which fail under the extreme thermal re-- sistance tests. I

In the drawings, 1 Fi 1 is an elevation of my new chemical porcelain crucible, and I Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation thereof. i

Figs. illustrative of the development work in connection with the shapes of the body and the mouth or the crucibles.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mode of generating the curves defining the contour ofthe crucible.

The crucible shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is composed of chemical porcelain ior resistance to alkalies and glaced for resisting high temperatures. The wall D and bottom lfl of the crucible are relatively thin, and the porcelain possesses the required translucency and lightnessf Thevralls of the crucible 1n vertlcal cross section is compound curve beginningat the marginot' the bottom E and'extending to the edge of the outwardly flared mouth por-' tion.' The curvature of thecrucible wall is made up of three intersecting curves generated from three separate centers as shown diagrammatically 1n Flgure hing at the bottom, the first. curve a is generated on an axis 2 intersected by a perpendicular 3 parallel and close'to the axial line 4. of the crucible; the second curve 5 is of greater radius'than the first curve a and is generated on an axis 6 inter 'sectcd by aperpendicular 7 located remote to the axial line 4 and parallel therewith;

and the third'curve B is or less radius than either (4V or 'b and is generated on an axis intersected by a perpendicular 9, the latter being between the perpendicular 7 and axial line t and adjacent to: a line crossing the open mouth of the crucible. As shown in the several figures, and particularly in Fig. ure 5, the curves a intersect with the curves 6 and define the outline of the crucible body, whereas the :curves B or shortest radius, intersect with the curves 6 and'define the under surface or curvature of the outwardly flared mouth portion. Q

The curves (4, 7), in "effect constitute the curvature of the body portion denoted at'A in Figures '1 to l, and the several curves re salt in a crucible which in vertical cross section may be said to be a compound curve.

As shown, the body curvature as it rises from the hat bottom E bulges outwardly until'well above one half the height or the 3 and l are diagrams, as stated,

Begina crucible, and thereupon the curvature is re versed so that the curve toward the open top of the crucible is an outward tlare, producing a well defined marginal flange constituted by the curve B in Fig. 4i.

By reason of the compound curvature of the wall and the outward flare at the mouth, the crucible varies in diameter at different points intermediate its height, the base 01. the crucible being of the least relative diameter.

As pointed out, the wall in vertical cross section. comprises not less than three curves generated on centers located at different distances from the vertical central axis of the crucible. With respect to said curves which impart the compound curvature to the crucible wall, the radius of the lowermost curve exceeds the diameter ofthe base portion of the crucible.

Tests of the body construction depicted in Fig. 8 extended over a large variety of shapes composed of difierent porcelain bodies and of varying thicknesses. Such tests included the firing of the crucibles at temperatures varying from cone 12 to cone 20. As a result of the tests, the crucibles possessing the body curvature A in Fig. 0

' best withstood the thermal resistance test in every instance, and such tests established conclusively that body shape or contour is one of the factors contributing tothe production of crucible capable of withstanding the required thermal resistance.

In view of the demonstrated fact that a slight variation in theshapehad an appreciable efiect upon the thermal resistance of the crucible, it became important to determine within the narrowest margin the shape which best withstood the thermal resistance test. Crucibles varying in height, diameter, and .thiclmesses were subjected to elaborate and repeated tests, as a result of which the crucible of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 successfully withstood all tests, incluiiling the thermal resistancetest.

The flange'at the mouth 0t. the crucible is the result of theoutward flare given by the reversal in the direction oi the compound curyature oi: the wall in cross section, and the tests referred to established that such outward curvature is another of the i311 portant factors in the shape of the crucible,

for the reason that the compound curvature in the contraction of the crucible after fin and. while undergoing the cooling; operation gn'ecludes any tendency to "fracture or to crack. and, further, the flange at the mouth obtained by the outward here in the compound curve enables the crucible, when. heated to the ten'iperature required, .to be handled by the aid of tongs, as is necessary, without breaking; or cracking; when cold tongs are applied in mechanical contact with the highly heated porcelain for removing it from the blast heat. As shown, the crucible provided with a flat bottom E, but this particular form is not essential, for the reason that the bottom may. if desired, be pro vided with a plurality of feet, although the use of such feet imparts to the crucible an external contour more or less awkward in the operation of casting or molding the percelain with pendant feet. In the manuttacture oi crucibles according 'tests having shown that warped porcelain possesses less thermal resistance than mechanlcally perfect ware. So far as I am aware,

porcelain ware for chemical crucibles has.

heretofore been molded from plaster casts, but the tests showed conclusii ely that the use of plaster casts in molding the chemt cal porcelain resulted in the production of crucibles more or less imperfect and mechanically inaccurate. Accordingly, I prepare a template corresponding in every detail to the model. crucible, and from this template a metal die is pre iiared, from which metal die the porcelain ware is molded in order to obtain the accuracy required to minimize mechanical inaccuracy and the attendant war-page in the porcelain when fired.

Having thus fully described the invention, what lillilllll as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A crucible composed or chemical porcelain the wall of which in vertical cross section is a compound curve producing an outwardly fiarin mouth portion. said crucible being of var no, diameter at diii'crent points intermediate its height and the base of said crucible being of'the least relative diameter and the ore s sectional contour oi said wall comprising not less than three curves generated on centers located at diflerent distances from the vertical central axis oi. the crucible, the radius of the lower l-lAh R Y D. illliliill lRIDGE. 

